Becoming a Work-at-Home Mom

What to Consider With a Career and Family Under the Same Roof

Sep 22, 2009

Being a work-at-home mother offers the benefits of earning a paycheck and still being there for the kids. What should moms consider before launching a home-based career?

Moms can bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan, but they can’t do that successfully while they’re on a conference call, trying to stifle a toddler tantrum, cleaning the bathrooms and writing a monthly report simultaneously. Being a work-at-home mom also means being realistic. Just like any major family decision, it’s best to have open, honest discussions with a spouse and other family members on what this transition means for everyone. A mom whose workplace is in her home can be more successful if her office mates (a.k.a., husband, kids, dog, etc...) understand her goals and consider how they can help in the process.

What to Consider Before Working From Home

Giving birth to a home-based career is much like preparing for the arrival of a newborn. Any work-at-home mom who has already been there and done that will advise others considering the idea to do what mothers do best – make a list. Consider the reasons for making this transition, then sit down and talk to family members about the logistics of making it happen. Touch upon the pros and cons, which might include:

From Stay-at-Home Mom to Work-at-Home Mom

Anyone who has been a stay-at-home mother will admit that being a parent 24/7 is like having a job with no end to the work day. Add in the demands that a work-at-home career brings, and mothers find themselves working two jobs for one paycheck. The good news is that many mothers discover that the organizational talents they’ve relied on as stay-at-home moms provide a great foundation for launching a home-based business. Work-at-home mothers thrive on multitasking. So now is the time to break out the calendars and to-do lists.

Who’s Managing the Household Duties?

There’s nothing that can kill a work-at-home mom’s pride for earning a paycheck faster than a banshee yell from a kid who can’t find clean underwear and matching socks on a busy school morning. A well-kept home is hard to manage when the work clock is ticking. Moms who previously spent their children’s school hours or nap time taking care of the house will need to reconsider how and when the family chores can be accomplished. Combining household duties with a career at home sometimes means those dirty dishes have to wait or that leftovers are on the menu – again. The more appealing alternative is asking family members to step up their chore responsibilities a notch.

What are the Kids Doing During the Work Day?

It’s humbling to admit, but staying at home to work can often be more productive if reinforcements are available during those tight deadlines or times when background noise doesn’t include Elmo, Burt and Ernie. Consider how a spouse plays a role in childcare or think about hiring a sitter or mother’s helper for part of the day to allow for more dedicated work time. Will older siblings be able to help, or can grandparents share in the caregiving? Combining parenting and a career often means asking for help with the kids when it’s needed.

What are the Work-at-Home Hours?

Decide in advance what times during the day are devoted to work and make the entire family aware that mommy’s work day is just as important as if she were going into a real office. Moms with children older than five will obviously find this easier than those with babies or preschoolers. Being self-disciplined enough to treat those work hours as if they were spent away from home behind a desk in a downtown high rise is also important.

For some early bird moms, getting up an hour or so before the kids do gets the day started off right. Night owls can go to bed with a sense of accomplishment if they trade their favorite TV shows for an hour or two of productive work time. Working during the kids’ naps, soccer practices or afternoons at the playground can also be effective.

Balancing Work and Home is a Job in Itself for Moms Starting Home-Based Careers

Kudos to the work-at-home mom who can smile when her co-workers cry over spilled milk or her work day is interrupted by a play date gone bad. More than likely that smile is due to the fact she’s just deposited a paycheck into her bank account, or she’s decided that baby talk is far more engaging than sitting through a staff meeting at her old job.

Working at home can be a great way to earn money and follow an entrepreneurial dream. But, it’s not all fun and games. Managing a career and a family under the same roof takes patience, organization, tenacity and perhaps most of all, flexibility. Ambition and determination prove to be essential job requirements for work-at-home mothers who want to succeed as both parents and career professionals.

Balancing a career at home and family responsibilities can be best described as a character building experience. There are a variety of resources online that can make that experience easier, including WAHM.com.

The copyright of the article Becoming a Work-at-Home Mom in Stay-at-Home Parents is owned by Stacy Rogers. Permission to republish Becoming a Work-at-Home Mom in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.